Playground assembly set

ABSTRACT

Playground assembly elements consisting of a plurality of planar elements of at least two different sizes. One element is substantially larger in area than the other element, and both elements have notches in strategic locations so that the two elements may be easily combined in numerous permutations, and just as easily disassembled, without the use of fasteners or other connecting elements. The elements are of a size and construction such that they are capable of safely supporting the weight of children playing in or on the constructed assemblies.

Iinited States Thomas atem [111 3,855,748 Dec. 24, 1974 PLAYGROUNDASSEMBLY SET [76] Inventor: Jacob E. Thomas, 1715 Jefferson St., PortTownsend, Wash. 98368 [22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 315,595

[52] 11.8. CI 52/585, 46/30, 46/31 [51] Int. Cl. E04c 1/10, E04c 1/30[58] Field of Search 46/30, 31, 215; 52/650, 52/DIG. 10,585

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,177,611 4/1965 Beck 46/303,477,188 11/1969 Kostick 46/30 3,537,706 11/1970 Heavener.... 46/303,564,758 2/1971 Willis 46/31 3,687,500 8/1972 Silvius 46/31 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 329,265 9/1935 Italy 46/31 Netherlands 46/30France 46/30 Primary ExaminerErnest R. Purser Assistant ExaminerHenryRaduazo Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Christensen, OConnor, Garrison &Havelka [57] ABSTRACT Playground assembly elements consisting of aplurality of planar elements of at least two different sizes. Oneelement is substantially larger in area than the other element, and bothelements have notches in strategic locations so that the two elementsmay be easily combined in numerous permutations, and just as easilydisassembled, without the use of fasteners or other connecting elements.The elements are of a size and construction such that they are capableof safely supporting the weight of children playing in or on theconstructed assemblies.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PLAYGROUND ASSEMBLY SET BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to playground apparatus for children,and more specifically, to a category of playgound apparatus wherein thechild utilizes given building elements to construct various playgroundassemblies, according to his own imagination.

The art of entertaining children has, in the past, resulted in a greatdeal of creative effort. Toys, games and other such entertainmentdevices have provided a continuing challenge for the mind of thecreative inventor, and this has been especially true in the last 75years, as it has become less and less necessary for children to make aworking contribution, with a resulting increase in time for play-typeactivities. Such devices for children have generally had two pruposes:(l) to provide entertainment for the child, i.e., to keep the childoccupied for considerable periods of time; and (2) to teach or assistthe child in learning a particular skill, physical coordination, or insome instances, social lessons, such as peer cooperation. The last fewyears has witnessed an increasing emphasis on the educational orteaching toy, as it is generally accepted that such items are apleasurable, and thus effective, means for assisting a child to learnneeded physical as well as social skills.

One characteristic of the maturing child appears to be an inclinationtoward construction, according to his imagination and particular levelof skill that he has achieved. This inclination toward construction andassembling various disassociated elements into an imaginative whole hasprompted the development of many toys which allow the child to constructvarious models, such as houses, cars, buildings, etc., from individuallysupplied elements. Many of these toys are adapted such that they may beeasily assembled to form the desired model and then just as easilydisassembled, the same elements then being used to form a differentassembly.

This category of assembly toys, however, while allowing the child tohave relative free rein of his imagination, and satisfying to a certainextent the childs inclination to build, also has numerous disadvantages.First of all, the overwhelming majority of prior art assembly toys areminiature, and the child thus is not able to play on or in them.Furthermore, the miniature assemblies are capable of being constructedentirely by a single individual, a feature which, although desirable insome respects, is undesirable from the standpoint of a child learningcooperation with others. In view of the above, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide a modular building set comprising elementswhich may be assembled in various structural arrays.

It is another object of the invention to provide a modular building setcomprising elements of such configuration that assemblies of theelements are sufficiently strong that children may play in or on them.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modularbuilding set comprising elements which may be easily assembled anddisassembled by children, without the need of fasteners or braces.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modularbuilding set comprising elements which require cooperation betweenchildren in building with the elements.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide amodular building set comprising elements which may be assembled into alarge variety of configurations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modularbuilding set comprising elements which, when not assembled, fit into arelatively compact space.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide amodular building set comprising elements wherein the configuration ofthe individual elements is conducive to a childs imagination inassembling the various elements into a particular whole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of one element of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a first element of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second element of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a second element of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a view of the notch cut into the second element of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of one particular configuration utilizing the firstand second elements.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of two building elements connected opposed by twoconnecting elements.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of two building elements connected normal toeach other by two connecting elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To accomplish the above and other objects ofthe present invention, a plurality of first and second planar assemblyelements are provided, each element having a predetermined size, shapeand configuration of assembly notches. More particularly, the firstelement is a planar member, preferably in the form of a sqaure havingnotches cut in a predetermined fashion in the sides of the element, thenotches extending transversely across the edge of the element, andinwardly a substantial distance without significantly closing upon oneanother. The second element is likewise a planar member, preferably inthe form of a square, although substantially smaller than the firstelement, and has notches located at various locations on the perhipherythereof, the notches extending transversely across the edge of theelement and inwardly toward its center. A plurality of each element thencan be fitted together according to the imagination and wishes of thechildren using them, resulting in strong, stable assemblies, without theuse of other elements such as braces, connections, fasteners, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4,the general configuration of the two elements making up the playgroundassembly elements of the present invention are shown. Each of theelements is constructed of marine-grade birch plywood, although otherwoods or materials of similar strength and structure characteristics maybe used. A plurality of each element is provided so that the users maybe able to build many different structures utilizing variouscombinations of the two elements. A

typical set of elements, providing a substantial building capability,might be to of the elements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and 60 to 80 of thesmaller elements shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, although set combinations maybe equally useful, depending upon the particular application.

In the preferred embodiment, the element shown in FIG. 1 is, in plan, asquare having a dimension A of 2 feet, and a dimension B of one-halfinch. This particular size and shape allows a substantial amount ofconstruction flexibility without being too heavy or cumbersome for thechild, while providing the large size and appropriate strength to formenclosures, platforms, or the like, large enough so that a child mayconveniently play on or within the assemblies. The element shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 is the building block element of the modular playgroundset.

The element shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is likewise a square, having adimension C of 9 /2 inches, and a dimension D of one-half inch, similarto the first element. These smaller elements are the connection blockelements, utilized to connect together the building elements intovarious original assemblies. Thus, while the building element will formthe floor, ceiling and walls of a typical enclosure, the connectingelements will provide the stable structural connection and supportbetween the building elements.

This principle is demonstrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, which shownconfigurations utilizing the building and connecting elements. Thus, forinstance, in FIG. 6, a plurality of building elements 11 form the basicstructural enclosure, while a plurality of connecting elements 12provide a stable structural connection between the building elements.The resulting structure is a sturdy, safe enclosure, sufficiently largeenough and strong enough so that children may easily play in it and uponit.

The shape and size of the two elements were chosen for maximum buildingflexibility and strength, as well as economy of fabrication fromstandard 4X8 foot plywood sheets. The building elements were selected tobe 2 foot squares so as to provide sufficient size without becomingcumbersome, and to provide maximum flexibility in module design, as theuse of the square enables the user to expand his module in any directionhe chooses.

The connecting elements of the preferred embodiments were chosen to besubstantially smaller squares again for the reasons of strength anddesign flexibility. The connecting element is substantially smaller thanthe building element, so that the building elements can be connectedtogether with a minimum loss of space. The shape, moreover, providesstrength for connecting the building elements without undue loss ofspace, due to the connecting element extending into the area enclosed bythe building elements. For instance, if the connecting elements werecircular, they would possess additional strength, but would also extendsubstantially farther into the area bounded by the building elements,thus restricting movement, while if the connecting element werecontoured to give more interior room, a substantial reduction instrength would result. Nevertheless, other element shapes may beutilized to practice the invention, although the optimum shape, for thepurposes of the invention, is the square.

The notch structure by means of which the elements achieve a stableconnection is shown in FIGS. 1

through 4, and shown in detail in FIG. 5. With respect to FIGS. 1 and 2,a portion 1414 is cut or notched out of the element at predeterminedlocations around the periphery of the element. The cut-out portionextends entirely through the element edgewise, beginning at the edge andextending inwardly normal to the edge from which it started to point1616, 2.75 inches from the edge for the building element shown in FIGS.1 and 2. The width of the cut-out portion 1414 in plan is slightlygreater than the one-half inch edge dimension of the connecting elementto slip into the notches edgewise. In the preferred embodiment, two suchnotches are provided along each 2 foot edge of the building element, thetwo notches being spaced from opposing edges a distance E, 5.68 inches,with distance G being 12.37 inches between the respective centers of thetwo notches of an individual edge.

With respect to the connecting element of FIGS. 3 and 4, the notches aresimilar, but not identical, to those of the building element of FIGS. 1and 2. The cutout portion 1717 in the connecting element begins at eachcomer of the element and extends inwardly for 3.50 inches from theimaginary corner of the square. Again, the cut-out portion 17l7 extendstransversely across the edge of the element, and has a width in plan ofslightly greater than one-half inch.

The length and location of the notches are important to the invention,as the modular capability of the elements provided by the location ofthe notches and the shape of the elements allows for significant designflexibility. For instance, when two building elements are connected asshown in FIGS. 7 or 8 by connecting elements, the edge distance Jbetween adjacent slot centers will always be the same, 12.37 inches.This allows the structure to be extended in any direction. Furthermore,when two building elements are connected in an opposed direction as inFIG. 7, there exists slightly more than 1 inch of space between theopposing building elements. When the building elements are connectednormal to each other, as in FIG. 8, the edges of the elements do notquite abut each other. The abovedescribed slot configuration andlocation results in assemblies which are structurally sound, flexible indesign, and having minimum open space between connected elements.

Another feature of the notch in the elements is the flare, shown inFIGS. 1-4, and in detail in FIG. 5. With respect to the buildingelements, the flare is cut at 45 angle to the edge with each of theresulting corners being slightly rounded. The angled flare cut extendsapproximately one-half inch into the length of the notch itself. Thisflare allows for the easy insertion and removal of the connectingelements.

With respect to the connecting elements, a similar flare is used,although the flare is made with respect to a comer and not a straightedge. The flare is especially important in the connecting elementnotches because the notches begin at the corners of the square element.If there is no flare, the building elements are difficult to insert, andthe stress at the comers will eventually cause cracking and breaking. Byusing the flare, the stress concentration points are moved toward a morestable portion of the connecting elements. Referring to FIG. 5, a cornerof a connecting element 11 is shown. The flare and the notch may beeasily cut at one time by use of a standard router, or similartechnique, or the comer may be first cut off along line 2l21, and thenotch cut subsequently. In any event, the distance M is three-forthsinch, and the distance N is one-half inch, in the preferred embodiment.The corners of the flare, both in the building and connecting elements,are rounded, as shown. This flare portion of the notch results in areduction of the stress at the comers of the notch, and allows for easyinsertion and removal of the building elements from the connectingelements. Additionally, the notches may be slightly tapered inward ofthe element, to allow for additional flexibility in construction.

The building and connecting elements then are connected together to formvarious configurations, the particular assembly being limited only bythe imagination of the user and the number and kind of elementsavailable. The notch type of connection allows building and connectingelements to fit together quite readily. For instance, with respect tothe building elements 11-11 and the connecting elements 12-12 in FIG. 6,it can be seen that when the connecting elements and the buildingelements fit together, the respective notches in each element meetedgewise.

To fit the two elements together, as shown in FIG. 6, it is onlynecessary to orient the one element edgewise, or at a 90 angle, withrespect to the other, and then slide the two mating slots of theelements, respectively, together until the end boundaries of therespective slots meet. By mating the plurality of building andconnecting elements in such a manner, a multitude of stable assembliesmay be produced, large enough and stable enough for a child to playwithin or upon, as demon strated in FIG. 6. Furthermore, by rounding thecorners of all the elements, and sanding their edges, any sharp edges orangles which could injure the user are eliminated.

The building and connecting elements utilized by the present inventiontake advantage of the maturing childs natural desire and ability tobuild, and encourage him, because of the size of the elements, todevelop cooperative habits with other children so that a particularlycomplex structure may be implemented.

The use of these playground elements clearly demonstrates to the childthe concept of modular construction, both its advantages anddisadvantages, and also assists in developing his physical skills andhis ability to visualize in terms of three-dimensional geometry.Furthermore, although the elements may be combined into cumbersome oreven unwieldy structures, as well as compact ones, they may be easilyand quickly disassembled, and the plurality of building and connectingelements may be stored in a relatively compact space, as the elementsare all planar, of regular size, and have no protrusions.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein for purposes of illustration,

it will be understood that various changes, modifications andsubstitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departingfrom the spirit of the inventionv For instance, different sized andshaped elements may be utilized as well as the ones disclosed in thepresent invention. Still other modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention which is defined by theclaims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A building set, the elements of which can be connected with oneanother to form modular structures, comprising:

a plurality of thin-edged, multilateral, plate-like building elementshaving defined therein a plurality of first slots of predetermineduniform depth, including at least two slots opening onto each edge ofsaid building element, each of said two slots being spaced an equaldistance from the nearest corner of said building element; and,plurality of thin-edged, plate-like connecting elements substantiallysmaller in surface area than said building elements and having definedtherein a plurality of second slots of predetermined uniform depth, saidconnecting elements joining with said building elements in slidableinterconnection between said first and second slots, wherein thedistance between adjacent first slots in a given edge of said buildingelements is equal to twice said equal distance plus the differencebetween the straightline distance separating opposing second slots insaid connecting element and a distance equal to twice the depth of saidfirst slots.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein each edge of saidbuilding elements is substantially 2 feet in length, and wherein each ofsaid plurality of building elements and connecting elements aresubstantially one-half inch thick and are made of a substantiallynonresilient material.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said connecting.element includes at least two pairs of opposing second slots.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said connectingelement is a square, and each of said second slots open on a cornerthereof.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of said secondslots is relieved where it opens onto a corner of said connectingelement.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein each relieved edgeof said connecting element between a second slot and the peripheral edgeis substantially straight, and forms a right angle with the respectiveperipheral edge and an obtuse angle with the respective

1. A building set, the elements of which can be connected with oneanother to form modular structures, comprising: a plurality ofthin-edged, multilateral, plate-like building elements having definedtherein a plurality of first slots of predetermined uniform depth,including at least two slots opening onto each edge of said buildingelement, each of said two slots being spaced an equal distance from thenearest corner of said building element; and, a plurality of thin-edged,plate-like connecting elements substantially smaller in surface areathan said building elements and having defined therein a plurality ofsecond slots of predetermined uniform depth, said connecting elementsjoining with said building elements in slidable interconnection betweensaid first and second slots, wherein the distance between adjacent firstslots in a given edge of said building elements is equal to twice saidequal distance plus the difference between the straight-line distanceseparating opposing second slots in said connecting element and adistance equal to twice the depth of said first slots.
 2. An apparatusin accordance with claim 1, wherein each edge of said building elementsis substantially 2 feet in length, and wherein each of said plurality ofbuilding elements and connecting elements are substantially one-halfinch thick and are made of a substantially nonresilient material.
 3. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said connecting elementincludes at least two pairs of opposing second slots.
 4. An apparatus inaccordance with claim 3, wherein said connecting element is a square,and each of said second slots open on a corner thereof.
 5. An apparatusin accordance with claim 4, wherein each of said second slots isrelieved where it opens onto a corner of said connecting element.
 6. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein each relieved edge of saidconnecting element between a second slot and the peripheral edge issubstantially straight, and forms a right angle with the reSpectiveperipheral edge and an obtuse angle with the respective second slot.